On Sunday, April 13, Russia launched a missile strike on the center of Sumy, killing dozens of people, including children. During the week, Ukraine announced new sanctions against Russian propagandists and businessmen, and allies promised new military assistance. It also became known about the first Chinese soldiers fighting on the side of Russia.
Babel has collected the main news of the week to keep you up to date.
Strike on Sumy
The Russians struck the center of Sumy with two “Iskander-M/KN-23” ballistic missiles on the morning of April 13. 34 people were killed, including two children. There are also 117 injured people, 15 of them children.
There are currently 68 victims in medical facilities. Eight of them are in serious condition.
The head of the Sumy Military Administration Serhiy Kryvosheyenko, said that it was the repeated strike with a ballistic missile that caused human losses with a large number of dead and wounded.
According to him, the second ballistic missile likely contained fragmentation elements and exploded in mid-air to inflict maximum damage on people on the streets of the city.
Residential and non-residential buildings were also damaged, with the epicenter of the attack being the premises of the regional Human Rights Protection Center. Clearing the rubble is still ongoing.
New sanctions on Ukraine
On April 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky enacted new NSDC sanctions targeting Russian and pro-Russian war propagandists and the Russian shadow fleet.
71 people and 18 propaganda media outlets have been placed under restrictions for propaganda and justification of war. Another 59 people are on the list directed against the shadow fleet.
In particular, the sanctions include Russian propagandist Alexander Sladkov, "military correspondents" Danil Bezsonov and Stanislav Smagin, pro-Kremlin propagandist Denis Zharkikh. Also on the list are pro-Russian pseudo-political scientist Vadim Karasyov, and general producer of the now banned TV channel "112 Ukraine" Artyom Marchevsky.
Musician Yuriy Bardash was also subject to sanctions. Last year, SBU announced suspicions against him under four articles.
Also under sanctions is the Kremlin project "Drugaya Ukraina", which is linked to the former founder of the “OPZZh” party Viktor Medvedchuk.
In addition, on April 12, Zelensky enacted a decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) on sanctions against four former officials and businessmen.
The following people were restricted:
- former Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine Serhiy Arbuzov;
- former Minister of Economy and former Head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Klyuyev;
- former owner of the Kyiv shopping mall Gulliver Viktor Polishchuk;
- former shareholder of IBOX-Bank, founder of the sanctioned company "Financial Company Leo" Alyona Shevtsova.
New international aid to Ukraine
On Friday, April 11, the 27th meeting of Ukraine and partners in the “Ramstein” format took place, where new military assistance packages and the creation of another coalition were announced.
Germany will deliver 4 IRIS-T air defense systems and 300 interceptor missiles for these systems in 2025. The country will also deliver 30 Patriot missiles, 15 Leopard-1 tanks, 25 Marder combat vehicles and an additional 100 000 artillery rounds. In total, the amount of additional assistance by 2029 will amount to €11 billion.
The United Kingdom will provide £450 million in aid: hundreds of thousands of drones, radar systems, and repairs to previously provided equipment.
Norway has provided £100 million to finance the aid package announced by the UK. In total, Norway has increased military support by €5 billion in 2025. The country has also announced €1 billion in aid, including for ammunition and air defense/missile defense. In addition, on April 7, the country allocated about €417 million for the purchase of artillery ammunition for Ukraine.
Belgium reported a military aid package worth €1 billion, and Denmark declared its 25th military aid package worth almost €900 million.
Lithuania plans to allocate €20 million for the purchase of ammunition, Estonia will soon provide Ukraine with 10,000 artillery ammunition, as well as dry rations for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the Netherlands will allocate €150 million to strengthen Ukraineʼs air defense.
Another important result of the meeting was the creation of a coalition of EW under German leadership.
In addition, the EU will provide €2.1 billion in proceeds from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. These are excess profits received from frozen assets of the Central Bank of Russia, which are held by the Central Securities Depositories.
Ukraine also received another €1 billion loan from the EU, which will be repaid with proceeds from frozen Russian assets. This payment brings total disbursements to Ukraine to €5 billion.
On the same day, Ukraine and the EU signed five agreements. The package includes three financing agreements between the European Investment Bank and Ukraine for a total amount of €300 million.
The first captured Chinese at the front
Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 8 that two Chinese citizens who fought as part of the Russian army were captured in the Donetsk region.
The Presidentʼs Office noted that Ukrainian defenders engaged in battle with six Chinese soldiers near the settlements of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka in the Donetsk region.
This was the first publicly known case of the participation of Chinese military personnel in the war against Ukraine on the side of the Russian Federation.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the Chinese chargé dʼaffaires, demanding an explanation for the participation of citizens of that country in the war.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was “checking the information with the Ukrainian side”. The Foreign Ministry stressed that the Chinese government has always asked its citizens to “stay away from armed conflict zones” and avoid any participation in hostilities or conflicts.
One of the Chinese citizens, who was captured by Ukrainian soldiers on April 8, said that he paid 300 000 rubles (approximately $3 470) to join the Russian army. All in order to obtain Russian citizenship. He underwent military training in the temporarily occupied Luhansk region — there were other Chinese citizens in the group.
Zelensky stressed that Ukrainian special services have information that the Russian army includes at least 155 Chinese citizens. Ukrainian intelligence has data on their documents.
New Russian offensive in Kharkiv and Sumy regions
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky stated that a new Russian offensive on these front lines has actually begun. Over the past week, the Russians have almost doubled their offensives on all major front lines.
In general, the situation remains unchanged — the Russian Federation does not rule out the intention to completely seize the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. The Russians are seeking to create a buffer zone in the territories of the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions.
In the fall of 2025, Belarus will host large-scale joint exercises with the Russian Armed Forces called "West-2025". In this context, Syrsky recalled that this was the beginning of Russiaʼs full-scale aggression in 2022 — military exercises make it possible to disguise the creation of groups. The Commander-in-Chief notes that this is a factor that must be taken into account. But this does not mean that he expects the fall Belarusian-Russian exercises to be a repeat of 2022.
Syrsky also reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed a Russian long-range supersonic bomber Tu-22M3. Its approximate cost is $100 million.
Attempted assassination of the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration
An alleged FSB agent accused of murdering a military man and preparing attacks on officials will go on trial in Kharkiv.
The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutorʼs Office has referred a case to court against a man suspected of collaborating with the FSB and a number of serious crimes.
According to the investigation, the native of Yevpatoria, who had previously been convicted several times, moved to Belgorod, Russia, after 2015 and received an assignment from the Russian special services. In February 2024, he arrived in Kharkiv, where he killed a Ukrainian soldier by shooting him in the back.
Later, the suspect threw a grenade into the district administration building, planted explosives near institutions and cars, and set two military vehicles on fire. He also prepared attacks on the head of the Derhachiv City Military Administration Vyacheslav Zadorenko and the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov. According to the investigation, he was supposed to receive $50 000 for the last terrorist attack.
The man was detained in late October 2024 while trying to flee Kharkiv. He faces life imprisonment. He will be tried in the cityʼs Dzerzhynsky District Court.
Death of Ukrainian F-16 pilot
F-16 fighter pilot Pavlo Ivanov died on April 12 while performing a combat mission. He was 26 years old. An interdepartmental commission is establishing the circumstances of the tragedy.
Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine. Major Pavlo Ivanov was also posthumously awarded the Order of the Golden Star for "personal courage and heroism shown in the defense of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine".
The trade war is gaining momentum
First, the US implemented additional tariffs of 50% that President Donald Trump had threatened to impose on Chinese goods. China was then hit with a 104% tariff.
However, the US President Donald Trump increased tariffs on China to 125% and introduced a 90-day tariff pause with reduced tariffs of 10% for other countries.
Amid the pause, stock markets began to rise that same evening after falling on news of US tariffs on 180 countries.
Amid rising US tariffs against China, the value of the PRC currency began to fall.
In response, China raised tariffs on all American goods from 84% to 125% effective April 12. The Chinese Ministry of Finance added that Beijing would ignore further tariffs from Washington on Chinese goods.
At the same time, Trump exempted smartphones, some computers, and other electronics from tariffs.
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